Currently, consumers and shippers are unable to monitor the ambient conditions and actual temperature of products in transit. This is very important for food safety. Closer monitoring of sensitive products is desirable for various reasons. Temperature sensitive goods are subject to fluctuations in product temperature during transit as well, which may spoil or damage the cargo being transported. Products are often transported en masse via ground vehicles such as trucks. Consumers and shippers may wish to more closely monitor products that are subject to temperature damage during transit. Additionally, shipping containers and vehicles are always subject to outside tampering, vandalism, or outright theft during transportation. In some cases, damage or theft is not discovered until vehicles have reached their destinations and the containers are examined or opened for removal of products. The present invention seeks to address the aforementioned issues as well as provide users with a functional, convenient, and practical solution for more closely monitoring products in transit.
The present invention is a tracking device and system for user monitoring of shipped packages, goods and other products in transit. In its preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a tracker and a monitoring system. The tracker comprises an internal component and an external component. The internal component of the tracker comprises a device housing structure, a power supply or source, and a temperature sensor. The external component of the tracker comprises a weatherproof housing structure, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, an antenna, a communications module, one or more sensors, and a control system. The internal component of the tracker is designed to be secured within a shipping container, compartment, or vehicle space containing packages and goods. Furthermore, the internal component of the tracker is designed to be able to have the external component positioned within the device housing structure of the internal component, such that these components are easily transported together. The external component is physically tethered to the internal component and is mounted on the exterior of the shipping container, compartment or vehicle space by clamping the device to the trailer. The external component may alternatively be wirelessly tethered to the internal component. The tracker provides information regarding the location, ambient conditions and temperature of the products. Additionally, the tracker is able to detect events such as shocks and impacts caused by sudden deceleration or stops. This tracker information is relayed to the monitoring system in real-time. Users may utilize the monitoring system to view current information drawn from the tracker. The monitoring system provides users with updates on an interval basis set by the users or when prompted by the users. The tracker is programmable through the monitoring system to set various triggers for alerts such as a temperature change threshold. The monitoring system is user accessible via various electronic platforms such as, but not limited to, computers, tablet computers, and mobile devices. The present invention strengthens the ability for shippers to be notified of possible contamination of products, damage or theft.
The object of the present invention is to provide a means for users to more closely monitor packages, goods and other products in transit. The tracker is accessible at any time for users to receive status updates. In addition to user prompted updates, updates are also provided on an interval and event trigger basis.